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Wednesday 24 December 2014

SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM NOUVEAU CHIQUE

I've been absent because I'm home in New York but I just thought I'd wish everyone who celebrates Christmas a very happy one indeed!

I'll be back soon...

Friday 12 December 2014

Obsessed With # 12: Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat

Oh wait... is Annie writing about nude lip products? How unlike her. Yes, I love me some nudes. I'm currently heart-eyed emoji-ing over the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in 'Pillow Talk'. Can we talk about it? Now, first of all I'm semi-annoyed at people claiming that a bubblegum pink lip liner from Rimmel is a 'dupe' for this. No, no this is not possible. This lip liner is a rosey nude shade, not pink. Okay, I'm over it now. 

So not only is the shade just perfect, the lasting power + texture of this is amazing. I would say this lasts a good few hours, even after a bit of munching + sipping it doesn't smudge or anything. The most impressive thing about this however is the formulation. Some lip liners don't match the texture of my lips so it can look a bit obvious whereas this does a much better job of matching the texture so it looks more natural. It isn't totally matte but it isn't glossy either, it has a kind of velvet texture which is really comfortable to wear.

Love.

Thursday 11 December 2014

The New Eyebrow Favorite

I quite recently converted to the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil after being a big fan of the Anastasia Brow Wiz. However, I then started using the Anastasia Brow Wiz again + fell back in love. When I was in Boots a month or so again I spotted the Soap & Glory Archery 2-in-1 Brow Filling Pencil & Brush, which I had read was similar + it does look incredibly similar in terms of packaging + the size of the thin nib + brush. This is a lot cheaper than the Anastasia pencil (£8 vs £15.50) so I thought I would give it a go.

First of all, mine is slightly broken. The pencil part actually falls out if I turn it upside down so I do have to be a bit careful, but I'm sure mine is just a bit faulty. My Anastasia pencil is actually broken too, when I take the lid off the brush end, the whole brush comes off with it. But that's not really enough to put me off.

The Anastasia Brow Wiz comes in nine shades, whereas the Soap & Glory only comes in two which is a shame. But! If either shade suits you then this is actually a great alternative. The blonde shade is slightly lighter than my Anastasia one in 'Taupe' but that works fine for me. In terms of application + lasting power, it really is pretty much identical to the Anastasia Brow Wiz. It's got that great little waxy nib which is perfect for creating a natural looking brow + drawing in fake eyebrow hairs. This is by far the best eyebrow pencil I have found in the drugstore + I have been using it everyday since I got it.

Monday 8 December 2014

Top Three Nude Lipsticks


I am not sure how many times I have mentioned that I am a nude lips lover but probably a few times too many. And as I bang on about how much I love a good nude, I am here to share with you my top three nude lipsticks. I will also be posting about my top three favorite nude lip pencils so watch out for that if you're interested. I would say that I like to go for a relatively pale nude in comparison to most of the nudes I see around (but I am certainly not talking concealer-lips pale) + I think a slightly pinky nude suits me better than say a warmer, peachy nude. I also think peachier nudes make my teeth look more yellow than they are so that's a no-no for me.

(In both images: Left: Tom Ford, Middle: Maybelline, Right: Armani)

Tom Ford Pink Dusk
This looks a lot darker than the other two but it is probably the most similar to my natural lip shade. As it is a bit darker than the other two, I prefer to wear this one with more minimal eye makeup. This is the nude lipstick that really got me into nudes in the first place. Tom Ford lipsticks are quite creamy + buttery so they feel really comfortable. Also the packaging is just a dream.

Maybelline Tantalizing Taupe
I have written a whole post on this one (click here for that). This is my favorite nude lipstick at the moment because I think it really suits my skin tone + it looks great with darker eye makeup. 

Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani Beige 103
This is a slightly pinkier version of the Maybelline lipstick + it is a bit more creamy + shiny. This is a really easy one to wear with any makeup look. It's another comfortable nude that isn't too dark for my pale skin. I also love the packaging of these - magnetic closure anyone?!

What is your favorite nude?

Monday 1 December 2014

Review: L'Oréal Nude Magique Blur Cream

Anything that claims it will 'blur' my skin immediately grabs my attention. (Although can we take a moment to giggle to ourselves about those apps that blur your skin so you end up looking like a fuzzy cloud? Ok thanks). I think L'Oréal Nude Magique Blur Cream is a better version of Miracle Blur, which I was never too impressed with.

I have this in the shade 'Light to Medium' + although it does come out of the tube in a shade, the pigment doesn't really transfer onto the skin. My one problem with this problem is the packaging, because it tends to squirt out + go all over the place + it is difficult to get the desired amount of product out. However, I do think it does a great job of evening out my skintone + creating a great base for makeup because it makes my skin super smooth. I wouldn't wear this by itself because it doesn't provide any coverage but I do like it as a primer. It does feel quite silconey so it gives a velvety finish which I think would be fine for oily or dry skin (my skin is generally quite normal).

I definitely think this would be a particularly nice primer if you have slightly blemished skin or visible pores because it does make everything look a lot more even + smooth.

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